This month in the scuba bulletin:
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Photo Contest in the Cayman Islands
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Cayman Islands
Underwater Photo Contest 2010 |
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Breaking news
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New
species discovered at national monument |
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Travel news
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Don't
miss the 10th anniversary celebrations of the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame. |
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Equipment news
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NEMO
WIDE from Mares is now
available with two new functions |
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Marine Conservation
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Coral reefs are under threat...become an
active member in conservation efforts |
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New offers from the last minute board
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Enjoy
diving in Honduras Utopia Village, Utila
Take a PADI Divemaster Internship program in Bali.
Dive or take an internship for up to 3 months in Vietnam |
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From the Forum
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Planning
a scuba vacation? Check out the information in the
Scuba Diving Travel Forum
Good tips to help you in your choice of a good diving computer
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| Enter
a photography contest with great prizes to be won |
Show
us your best shot – enter your most exceptional underwater
digital image taken in the Cayman Islands waters!
Winning entries will
receive a gift certificate for camera equipment, scuba diving
equipment and a gorgeous print of your winning submission to
keep the memory of your dive in the Cayman Islands fresh for
years to come. Categories include: scenic (wide angle), close-up
(macro) and creative editing. A maximum of three submissions per
category will be accepted.
All files must be clearly labelled with the photographer name and
be accompanied with your registration information. Visit www.cita.ky for
more information on how to enter your best Cayman Islands
underwater digital photo into the 2010 contest.
All submissions will be displayed at the photography exhibit on
the night of January 29th in conjunction with the Underwater
Film Festival – so be sure to join us there!
Contact the Cayman Islands Tourism Association to register and
learn more about the categories, submission and great prizes at info@cita.kyor
1-345-949-8522.
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| Breaking
news |
Scientists discover new
species at national monument
NORTHWESTERN HAWAIIAN
ISLANDS (HawaiiNewsNow) - Scientists have just returned
with amazing new images from the Papahanaumokuakea Marine
National Monument.
Biologists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) were locating and surveying deep water
beds of corals and sponges.
They found a number of
species of coral new to science and others that will have to be
re-categorized.
"Right at the end
of the dive we found one sponge there that was absolutely
incredible. It was on maybe a three-foot stalk," said Chris
Kelley, HURL program biologist.
"I saw sponges
that were more than six feet tall and corals that were more than
twenty feet long," Papahanaumokuakea research coordinator
Cori Kane said.
They used a submersible
from the Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory (HURL) to descend a
mile below the ocean surface.
"It's like shaking
a tree in the Amazon," submersible pilot Max Cremer said.
"Most likely no human being has ever set eyes on that
particular parcel of the earth's surface."
The scientists said
they've barely scratched the surface of the area.
Over ninety-five
percent of the ocean floor in the national monument is below
scuba diving depth.
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=11677183 |
| Travel
news |
International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame 2010 celebrations
Dive with the greats
2010 marks the 10th anniversary celebrations of the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame. Taking place in Grand Cayman on January 30, 2010, the ceremony will induct Dr. Eugenie Clark, popularly referred to as the "Shark Lady", the artist Wyland, dive legend Nick Icorn and Francis Toribiong, the godfather of Palau diving. Caradonna Dive Adventures, www.caradonna.com is offering a package for those hoping to attend the ceremony, dive with some of the greatest divers in the world and also enjoy the Underwater Film Festival, which takes place the same week.
http://www.scubadivinghalloffame.com/
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| Equipment
news |
NEMO WIDE: interface between man and sea is now
available with two new functions!!!
• Wide display with superior
readability
• Ergonomic design and intuitive
interface
• Upgradeable software
Nemo Wide was designed to be easy-to-read, intuitive to use,
safe, and reliable. A large size display was one of the
primary requirements behind its creation. In order to optimize
readability in every circumstance, special attention was paid
to the size and brightness of digits, to the backlight
intensity and to maximizing the viewing angle.
With Nemo Wide Upgrade 3.0 (3 gas algorithm) is available to
download from our web site (download/computer)and allows you
to use up to three different Nitrox mixes during the dive
(including air):
• Bottom mix (21-50%)
• Travel mix (21-99%)
• Deco mix (21-99%)
You must define the mixes in the dive computer prior to
beginning the dive. You’ll be able to set the oxygen
concentration and maximum oxygen partial pressure (ppO2max)
for each mix individually, for maximum flexibility to suit
your dive style.
During the dive Nemo Wide will suggest when you ought to
switch to a different gas, and all you have to do is push one
button to confirm. Nemo Wide will immediately recalculate your
decompression based on the new information.
And … if you already own a Nemo Wide you can simply upgrade
your dive computer by downloading the new firmware from our
web site, then installing it via Mares Drak and you’ll
immediately have this function available.
The other function available with the new firmware is
Stopwatch in bottom time mode. The upgrade adds a stopwatch
function when Nemo Wide is in Bottom Time mode.
Do you wish to be a cut above the rest? Once more with MARES
it is possible … Enjoy pure perfection
http://www.mares.com/product_detail.php?id=282®ion=ALL
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| Education
news |
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Are you interested in learning more about the causes of dive
fatalities and how to prevent them? Join DAN Research and a
panel of international experts at a two-and-a-half-day
conference near the DAN headquarters in Durham, NC.
Topics covered in the Diving Fatalities Workshop will
include:
- factors most commonly associated with diving deaths in
America, Europe, Germany, Britain and Australia
- cardiovascular fitness, evaluation and risk factors
- training and cardiovascular fitness
- the role of training in reducing diving fatalities
- on-scene investigation, equipment testing, medical
examiner activities and legal issues in North America and
Europe.
Space will be limited, and the cost of registration will
go up after Nov. 10, 2009, so don’t wait – register today!
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| Marine
Conservation |
Coral reefs
are under threat...
Coral reefs occupy a
tiny fraction of the sea. All the world’s tropical reefs put
together can be fitted into an area no larger than the British
Isles, yet they are home to more than a quarter of all known
marine fish species, over 800 different types of reef building
coral and hundreds of thousands of other exotic species.
Apart from this immense
biological diversity, coral reefs are also of high value for
fisheries, coastal protection and nature-based tourism. But
these values are in serious danger of being lost. Scientists
estimate that 19% of reefs have already been destroyed and
another 35% could be lost within 10-40 years as a result of
over-exploitation, destructive fishing practices, coastal
development, tourism pressure and marine pollution.
In addition, all coral
reefs are at severe risk of death and damage from increases in
seawater temperature and acidity due to global climate change.
What needs to
be done?
MCS wants to see
increased awareness of the importance of the world’s coral
reefs. It’s vital people realise that these unique and
valuable ecosystems are facing an unprecedented crisis because
of global climate change and other threats. We need to help
reefs recover from decades of over-exploitation and work to
improve water quality and reduce the risk of disease on reefs.
The problems are well
understood but solutions are but not always simple to implement.
We want to see commitment to coral reef protection at all levels
– from local communities, conservation organisations,
fishermen, the tourism industry and governments.
To read full article:
http://test.mcsuk.org/conservation_in_action/Coral%20reefs
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| New offers from the last minute board |
| Here are
three of the ads featuring in the last minute board:
Honduras
Price: 999US$
Utopia Village is a beachfront eco dive resort
located on Utila, The Bay Islands of Honduras.
Take advantage of this last minute hot deal
dive package at $999 plus tax and non-diver
package at $799 plus tax! Includes 7n/8d king
or double full accommodation, 3 gourmet meals
daily, 2 boat dives daily for five days, one
weekly night dive and unlimited shore diving
on our world class house reef. See all package
inclusions and specials posted at
www.utopiautila.com. Some restrictions may
apply. Dive the Western hemispheres largest
barrier reef at Utopia Village!
Precise date of beginning: January 23,
2010
Precise date of ending: January 29,
2010
http://www.gooddive.com/board/classifieds.php?a=2&b=420
Indonesia
Price: 1400US$
PADI Divemaster Internship programs in
beautiful Bali. Blue Season Bali is Bali's top
Divemaster internship operator. We offer
extensive divemaster internship training in a
personalized method. Check us out at
www.idc-bali-internships.com to learn more
about your PADI Divemaster Internship!
Precise date of beginning: Any time
http://www.gooddive.com/board/classifieds.php?a=2&b=416
Vietnam
Price: 500US$
Fancy diving or training for upto 3 months in Vietnam? Rainbow
Divers are the longest established PADI centres in Vietnam and
the only PADI CDC, IDCs & National Geographic centres
throughout the country. DM internships from $500 and IDC
internships from $750. Limited spaces for free diving &
training in exchange for working with us!
http://www.gooddive.com/board/classifieds.php?a=2&b=409
Check the board http://www.gooddive.com/board/classifieds.php regularly for new great deals.
If you have a great offer don't hesitate to post it. This service is free!!
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